Electrical tube socket



Feb. 4, 1969 5 A. P. DE Wm 3,426,318

ELECTRICAL TUBE SOCKET Filed Aug. 1, 1966 H. i N

' INVENTOR. Z5 23 25 /4 Au er P DEV/r0 29 /j 2 m M A7 TORNbYS United States Patent Office 3,426,313 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 3,426,318 ELECTRICAL TUBE SOCKET Albert P. De Vito, Niles, 11L, assignor to Alcon Metal Products, Inc., Chicago, lllL, a corporation of Delaware Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 459,159, May 27, 1965. This application Aug. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 569,134 US. Cl. 339-193 Int. Cl. H011 13/50, 9/04 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present application is a continuatiOn-in-part of my pending application Ser. No. 459,159, filed May 27, 1965, now Patent No. 3,311,865, issued Mar. 27, 1967.

This invention relates to a novel electrical socket and more particularly concerns a tube socket.

In sockets of this type a dielectric body supports combination pin receptacle and solder well terminal units assembled therewith in suitable bores. Not only must the receptacle-terminal units be thoroughly electrically isolated from one another, but they must be permanently adequately retained against dislodgement from the socket body.

It is, accordingly, an important object of the present invention to provide a novel multiple receptacle-terminal socket assembly having sufiicient means to maintain the receptacle-terminal units electrically isolated from one another in the assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means in a socket of the character described for retaining the receptacle-terminal units permanently against dislodgement from the dielectric body of the socket assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel disc retaining means for the receptacle-terminal units of a tube socket assembly.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrically conductive connector unit for use in an electrical tube socket assembly.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a socket assembly embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional elevational detail view taken substantially on the line IIII of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the assembly.

A practical embodiment of the invention comprises a tube socket assembly 5 including a cast or molded dielectric body 7 of substantial thickness and preferably cylindrical form having about one end portion thereof a radially extending mounting flange 8 which is substantially thinner than the body and has thereon a pair of oppositely extending attachment ears 9. For attaching the socket to a supporting base such as a chassis panel P, the ears 9 have respective apertures 10 therethrough receptive of suitable means such as respective rivets, combination attachment pin terminals T, or the like.

Respective generally U-shaped formed sheet metal units 11 are carried in assembly with the body 7. Each such unit comprises a pin-receiving receptacle 12 and a solder well terminal 13 integrally connected by a connecting strip or tail piece 14, providing an electrically continuous conducting structure. To receive a plurality, such as twelve of the receptacle-terminal units 11 the body 7 has an annular series of bores 15 opening through its opposite ends adjacent to its outer perimeter and with the pin receiving mouth ends of the receptacles adjacent to entry openings 17 at the upper end of the body as viewed in FIGURE 2, with a generally annular groove 18 recessed in such end in alignment with the bore openings and facilitating reception of the pins of an electronic tube into the receptacles. To mount the terminals 13, complementary bores 19 are provided in equal number to the receptacle bores 15 and disposed in an annular series spaced radially outwardly from and aligned in paired relation with the receptacle bores. Through this arrangement, the generally U- shaped units 11 are readily assembled with the body 7 by inserting the receptacles 12 and the terminal 13 of each unit into the respective selected pair of bores 15, 19 by a longitudinal assembly movement from the base end of the body until the connecting tail piece 14 engages the face of the body intervening between the base ends of the bores. The relationship of parts is such that when thus fully assembled, each of the units 11 has the mouth or receiving end of its receptacle adjacent to the access opening 17 and the distal end of its terminal 13 adjacent to but desirably spaced from the top or crown end of the body 7 so as to avoid interference with a possibly overhanging base portion of an electronic tube mounted on the socket with its terminal pins engaged in the respective receptacles 12. Electrical leads are readily inserted into the tubular solder well terminals 13 by inserting the leads into the base end openings into the terminals, the leads being gripped by convergently related retaining prongs 20 having their tips directed toward lead stopping crown flanges 21 on the terminals. After the leads have been inserted into the respective terminals 13, they are adapted to be soldered thereto by dip soldering the socket assembly whereby all of the solder well terminals receive solder simultaneously. In order to avoid entry of solder into the pin receptacles 12 which must be maintained free for entry of tube lus, a masking member 22 is removably attached to the crown of the body 7 to completely close the groove 18 and thus the entry openings 17. In a desirable construction, the masking member 22 comprises a disc of suitable material such as masking tape having a pressure sensitive adhesive coating 23 on one face and by which the masking disc is effectively adhesively removably attached to the body crown. In practice, the socket assembly is manufactured and supplied to the user with the masking disc 22 in place. After dip soldering has been effected, the masking disc 22 is easily stripped from the body 7 to expose the crown and the groove 18 for reception of electronic tube pins in the receptacles. In order to assure that the receptacle-terminal units 11 will be thoroughly electrically isolated in the assembly, the connecting tail pieces 14 are, in effect, disposed in recesses in the base end portion of the body. In a desirable arrangement, the body has an integral annular protective flange 24 projecting from its base end face about the outermost series of bores 19, and more particularly from the mounting flange 8 and may serve as a centering flange where it is desired to mount the socket assembly in a suitable aperture in a mounting panel such as one to which the ears 9 may be riveted or otherwise secured. Extending radially inwardly from the encircling flange 24 are respective separating ribs 25 integral with and on the base end face of the body 7, one such rib being located between each adjacent pair of the bores and 19. These ribs are desirably shallower than the length of the flange 24 and are in a plane with a central boss 27 projecting from the base face of the body. Thereby, while minimizing the quantity of material used in the dielectric body 7, toward the attainment of a compact, lightweight, economical unit, effective isolation of the conductive units 11 from one another is attained by the relatively narrow divider ribs 25. The encompassing flange 24 which, as will be observed, is desirably substantially longer and wider than the depth and breadth of the ribs 25, affords an eflective leakage barrier wall through its integral connection with the radially outer ends of the separator ribs 25 not only against leakage between the adjacent conductive units 11 and the electrical leads attached thereto, but also against electrical leakage or interference from adjacent conductive objects radially outwardly from the flange 24. In addition, the rib 24 provides an eflicient protective mechanical buffer to prevent damage to the relatively more delicate ribs 25 during handling of the assembly.

Additional electrical leakage protection and also means for retaining the conductive units 11 against rearward or downward dislodgement from the body 7 are provided by a flat substantially rigid dielectric disc 28 engaging the boss 27 as an attachment base and of a diameter to overlie the tail pieces 14 of the electrical units 11 at least partially. Desirably, the disc 28 bears against the separator ribs 25, and although for purposes of economy and for permissible usage, the diameter of the disc is such as to lie concentrically within the flange 24 to afford and ample access gap exposing the base ends of the terminals 13 for easy electrical lead reception, the disc may if preferred be of a diameter to fit closely within the flange 24 and have access apertures matching the terminals where high electrical potential uses require complete closing over of the recesses defined between the ribs 25.

To enhance locking in of the connector units 11 by the retainer disc 28, means are provided on the tail pieces 14 cooperative with the disc to limit any possible relative movement of the electrical units 11 and more particularly of the receptacles 12 to a bare minimum desirable manufacturing tolerance relationship. In a desirable arrangement such means comprise a lug 29 projecting from the relatively thin sheet metal tail piece 14 toward the opposed inner face of the disc 28. For maximum efliciency this lug 29 comprises an extension from an axial connecting arm 30 of the angular tail piece 14 integral with and maintaining the receptacle 12 in position. Thereby axial thrust from tube pins rearwardly on the receptacle 12 tending to shift it rearwardly Within its housing bore 15 are resisted by direct line thrust through the arm 30 and the stop lug 29 engaging the retainer disc 28. Preferably, the stop lug 29 is constructed as a struck-out finger from the base or connector arm 14 of the tail piece.

Permanent attachment of the disc 28 to the body 7 is desirably etfected by means of an eyelet rivet 31 extending through coaxially aligned apertures 32 and 33 in respectively the disc 28 and the body 7, the latter aperture being in a web portion 34 provided at the inner end of an upwardly or forwardly opening counterbore 35 of substantial diameter in the body 7 minimizing the mass of the body and affording the access for a riveting machine to the rivet 31.

For convenience in identifying the connectors 11 to match the proper leads with electron tube pins, identification indicia comprising numerals 37 are conveniently provided on the retainer disc 28. Conveniently, the identification numerals 37 are permanently inscribed as by being pressed into the exposed rear face of the disc in a prearranged order. In the illustrated instance there are twelve of the connector units 11 and therefore the identifying numerals 37 are provided in a matching generally annular series from 1 to 12. In order to effect proper indexing of the respective identifying numerals 37 with their respective connector units in assembly and to prevent disruption of the matching orientation by possible turning of the disc about the rivet 31, indexing interlocking means are provided on the disc and on the body 7. In an eflicient construction, such means comprise an indexing lug 38 formed integrally with and projecting from the base face of the body 7 at a convenient location, such as in a blank, in this instance thirteenth, recess defined between adjacent ones of the ribs 25. The lug 38 is received within a complementary indexing hole 39 provided in the disk 28.

It will be understood that variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of this invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. For use in an electrical tube socket assembly having a dielectric body with two annular series of bores and a dielectric retainer disc secured to one end of the body:

an electrically conductive connector unit comprising a tube pin receptacle adapted to be engaged in one of the bores and a lead terminal adapted to be engaged in another of the bores and a tail piece connecting the receptacle and the terminal;

and said tail piece having a projection therefrom located where said tail piece is connected to said receptacle and extending in a direction to confront said disc for retention of the unit in assembly with said body.

2. In combination in an electrical tube socket assembly:

a dielectric body having two annular radially spaced and aligned series of bores therethrough;

respective generally U-shaped electrically conductive connector units each comprising a tube pin receptacle engaged in one of the inner series lbores and a lead terminal engaged in the aligned bore of the outer bore series, with an integral tail piece connecting the receptacle and the terminal and extending along one face of said body, said tail piece having a projection therefrom extending away from said face;

an integral annular protective flange projecting from said face about the outermost bore series;

separator ribs integral with said face of the body and extending radially inwardly from said flange between the aligned bores of said series;

a central integral boss on said face of the body and substantially in the plane of said ribs;

and a flat substantially rigid dielectric retainer disc secured to said boss, opposing said ribs and said projections of the tail pieces whereby to lock said units in said body.

3. In combination in an electrical tube socket assembly:

a dielectric body having two annular radially spaced and aligned series of bores therethrough;

respective generally U-shaped electrically conductive connector units each comprising a tube pin receptacle engaged in one of the inner series bores and a lead terminal engaged in the aligned bore of the outer bore series, with an integral tail piece connecting the receptacle and the terminal and extending along one face of said body;

respective recesses in said face within which said tail pieces are received in electrical isolated relation;

said body having a central recess opening from its opposite face and defined by a web adjacent to said one face;

a flat substantially rigid dielectric retainer disc engaging said one face and lockingly opposing said tail pieces;

said disc and said web having aligned rivet holes therethrough;

a rivet extending through said aligned holes and securing the disc to the body;

said disc including individual identification indicia for each of said connector units;

5 6 and means maintaining said disc in properly indexed 6. An assembly as defined in claim 5, in which each orientation of the identification indicia. with the of said tail pieces includes an arm mounting its associated connector units. receptacle and extending axially with the receptacle with- 4. An assembly as defined in claim 3, in which said in its bore, and said projections extend in alignment with indexing means comprise an integral stud projecting from 5 said arms. said body and a socket in said disc in which said stud is 7. An assembly as defined in claim 6, in which said engaged. connector units are formed from sheet metal and said 5. In combination in an electrical tube socket assembly: projections comprise struck-out lugs from said tail pieces. a dielectric body having two annular radially spaced and aligned series of bores therethrough; 10 References Cited respective generally U-shaped electrically conductive UNITED STATES PATENTS connector units each comprising a tube pin receptacle engaged in one of the inner series bores and a fi i a1 g i g lead terminal engaged in the aligned bore of the outer Ore 0C 3 bore series, with an integral tail piece connecting the 2866171 12/1958 Wagner et 339 193 15 2 904 772 9/1959 Artz 339 27s X receptacle and the terminal and extending along one face of Said body; 3,099,508 7/1963 Schlee 339193 3,283,288 11/1966 Blba et a1. 339l93 said one face having respective electrical isolation recesses in which said tail pieces are received;

a flat substantially rigid dielectric retainer disc secured MARVIN CHAMPION Pnmary Exammer' to said one face in overlying locking relation to said I. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. tail pieces; and respective stop projections extending from said tail C X.

pieces toward said disc. 339-217 

